Customer Reviews

First Aid for the USMLE Step 1: 2007

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Everyone knows that First Aid is the bible of USMLE prep. It is still a great book, I just want to comment on the number of errors in this edition of the book.

When First Aid switched to the system based format for 2006 you expected some errors due to the reformating. However, the 2007 should have corrected these errors. Isn't that why they come out with a new edition every year? I will give them credit for fixing many of the errors, but in the process, they have created new ones that were originally correct in the past version! First Aid has somehow figured out how to take a completely correct figure from the 2006 edition, and screw it up for the 2007 edition. These aren't just typos, they are mistakes that took human effort to create.

For example, the fetal circulation diagram is perfectly correct in the 2006 version, but when you compare it to the 2007 version, it is all screwed up. The diagram itself if exactly the same, and so is the text, but they have gone in and changed the colors around to make the oxygenation levels in the blood incorrect. This doesn't just happen when you print it out. Some person actually changed it. This is not the only example of this. I have found almost a dozen errors in 2007 that were correct in the 2006 version. (And I have only started to study) But why would they do this?

The only real answer is to get you to buy next years version. People hand books down a lot in medical school, and this would decrease their profits if the 2007 version was just as good as 2008. So in order to keep sales up, First Aid is scamming people. It sucks.

No doubt this is the bible for the exam, no matter if you just want to pass or ace it. Some background is required to store and fully understand the summarized info provided, but the book itself is almost a miracle (who would ever think about compiling all basic disciplines in a single and not big volume?).

Of course, how can the FA be knocked down? I had the 2006 version and sold it, thinking this had more. I think you fare well with the 2006 version as well because both are the new systemic versions.
Don't rely on this----only review this at the end of your preparation for Step 1...I fully recommend Kaplan otherwise and then go to this.

Like many have already stated, this is the "Bible" for the Step 1. All the high-yield facts you need, now in system form. The information in here would be sufficient to help anyone to at least pass. The real challenge is how well you can apply the information. That's why you need to supplement with question banks.

There are some people who can do well on the USMLE step 1 exam without using first aid--I personally don't know any of these people. First Aid is one book you must buy for step 1 preparation. Even if you don't like its format, the information inside it is as high yield as you can get, and many of its mnemonics would definitely be helpful during basic sciences years. Caveats: make sure to find the errata for the edition you buy--there are usually missing pages and multiple errors that can be found by googling "first aid 2007 (or whatever year book you have) errata". And, first aid should not be used as the sole study source for any subject (except for anatomy and possibly pharmacology and behavioral sciences) and thus should be used as a high yield review or a source to compile information from other study resources.

As one of my medschool deans says, "it makes you feel good, but at the end of the day you have to ask yourself- will this help me answer questions on the boards?" First Aid- step 1 has a 'feel-good' organization and is helpful to give an overview as you go through the material in school. as boards get closer, though, you may want to leave this one behind.

I must have unrealistic expectation for this book, because everyone has gushed about how great first aid is for step1. Well, I got the book and studied, I took my exam, and in retrospect, I can say that while the book gets good marks for putting together the minimum you have to know, it's simply not a definitive source. For one, usmle seems to move increasingly toward testing fundamental concepts in unusual ways, and this book is simply not good for concept. It's basically a list of things you have to memorize for the straight up memory questions. And even for the latter, so many of the mnemonics are so random that chances are you'll remember the mnemonic but not what they stand for.
Anyways, I'll still say take this book, make sure you cover everything the book listed, use this simply as a checklist. It's not the bible for usmle or anything like that - just that I dont know anywhere else that condense the facts into so few pages.
And make sure to get the list of mistakes - there are always new ones in every edition for some reason.

I am an IMS from Mexico and FA helps me a lot when I was studying for the step 1, seriously 50% of the questions I got in the test could be answered with FA. Also it has helped me with my school classes and tests, I'm now in my clinical year and I'm still using it.
FA worth the 50 dollars I paid!!!

i agree with the previous reviewer. there are some gross errors in the 2007 edition that were actually correct in the 2006. and they do seem to be errors that were deliberately made. it's upsetting that such a reputable source might resort to intentionally printing errors to have students buy new editions, but who knows. i don't know what to suggest, maybe get both the 2006 and the 2007?

Good overview. I used this, listened to Goljan, and did all of USMLE Rx question bank. I took notes from Goljan and the question bank in the margins of First Aid. Scored top 1% on Step 1.